THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12082, 29 September 1902, Page 6

THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION.

| ' DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. I THE GOVERNMENT AND THE LABOUR MEMBERS. ! [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CO P. RESPONDENT.] Wellington, Saturday. ■ The labour members were up in. arms against the Government last night in regard to a proposed clause in the Factories Act Amendment Bill giving permission to the, smaller boroughs to fix some other day than Saturday for the weekly half-holiday in establishments that come under both the Factories Act and the Shop Assistants Act. A clause to this effect was read a second time; and then Mr. Millar arose and warmly condemned the Government for springing this surprise on Parliament. He. threatened to keep the discussion alive till he had received replies to telegrams despatched to the workers of Dunediu, Timaru and elsewhere. He moved that the Chairman leave the chair. Mr. Arnold also took a hand. He said he had sat pretty quiet in that House for three years, but like a certain bird, he had been thinking a lot, and wondering what the position of the Liberal party was towards labour. Mr. John Hutcheson: You're beginning to find it out. ' Mr. Arnold: I nm beginning to find it out. I'm coming to a conclusion before the elections, and I want the country to come to a conclusion also. Mr. John Hutcheson: I'll be glad to give you a few points. (Laughter). Mr. Arnold: I'll be delighted to sit at the hon. gentleman's feet and learn from him. He has had great experience. Mr. Arnold went on to charge Mr. Willis (Wanganui) with trying to kill the Arbitration and Conciliation Act last session. M.- Willis retorted that that was not a fact. An. Arnold went on to ask what had the Labour members got for these three years' legislation. What, he asked, are they likely to get? - * A Voice: What do you want? (Laughter.) Mr. Arnold: The Labour party must become a party clearly defined in this colony. That is coming. They must recognise who their true friends arc.

Opposition: "Hear, hear," and a voice, " Things are changed." By this time the fat wa3 in the fire, and there were little conferences going on between Ministers and city members. Sir Joseph Ward had voted in on© lobby (against the clause he himself had proposed in the absence of the acting Minister for Labour), and Mr. Hall-Jones and other Ministers in the opposite lobby. The situation was becoming interesting, and the only way out of the difficulty for the Minis-, try seemed to be to report progress and drop the Bill. During tho discussion that ensued on the motion that the Chairman leave the chair, Mr. George Fisher caused much amusement (especially in the galleries, were unusually full), by objecting in his brief and emphatic way to being ruled by the " denizens of villages." "Yes," lie added dramatically, "we object to be dictated to by the cockrobin shops in the country." Mr. Pirani laughed at the idea of Mr. Fisher and Mr. Russell posing as champions of the Saturday half-holiday, and reminded Sir. Russell that upon the only occasion (in 1894) when he voted upon the question, he voted against tho Saturday half-holiday, which was proposed by Sir William Russell. " Talk about taking up attitudes for a general election! If ever there was an instance of it, it. is here to-night," added the member for Palmerston. He went on to remind tho House that tho Saturday half-holiday was due, not to the present Government, but to Six* W. Russell and Mr. John Duthie.

As the discussion proceeded it developed into a question of town versus country. Mr. Pirani said it had taken Mr. Arnold three years to find out where he was. The Government, it was true, posed as a Labour Ministry, but thero was not a- single town member in tho Ministry'. They all of them represented countVy constituencies. The supper adjournment then intervened. On resuming Mr. Millar agreed to withdraw his motion, and the Minister moved to report progress on the Bill. This, however, did not find favour with the country members, who objected to have the Bill abandoned, simply because some members threatened obstruction, because a majority in the House had agreed to a certain clause. ! Mr. Pirani, voicing theso opinions, said it was due to the House and the country to place the Bill on tho Statute Book. ■} The motion to report progress was eventually carried. i